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"Been There, Done That!"
BSA TROOP 999
Carl Sullender, Scoutmaster - Sponsored
by Broken Arrow Elks Lodge 2673
High Adventure in Broken
Arrow, OK USA
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[Originally posted May, 2006]
Hey Niners,
Summer Camp is almost here and I am really excited about our return to Hale Scout Reservation this May.
I would like to thank our adults who have put in quite a bit of work to get us on our way. I thank in
advance those adults who are attending Summer Camp with us. The support we will have on the ground will help make
our Summer Camp more meaningful and successful for all.
I challenge each and every one of us to do two things at Summer Camp this year: Live by the Scout Oath; and, let all
of our actions reflect our willingness to put all of the tenets of the Scout Law to work in our lives every day.
I believe that if we can meet just these simple requirements, then we will all come away from our experience at
Hale Scout Reservation a little wealthier in our knowledge of each other, and more confident in our skills as leaders and
future leaders.
My prayer for this year is that we all be shown at least one weakness in our character, and that we may turn this weakness
into one of our strengths.
Yours in Scouting,
Carl Sullender
Troop 999 Scoutmaster
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[Originally posted
February, 2006]
Hey Niners,
A lot of messages have been posted and announcements made about upcoming events
and the cost of these events. I have spent some time calculating how much these
adventures are going to cost my family.
I think the tally is going to be close to a couple thousand frosties (one frostie is 99 cents).
Wow! It will take me 14 years to save 2 thousand frosties! "What am I going to do?," I think
to myself. I decide to start a hamster ranch. Hamsters multiply really fast; I should
be able to come up with a couple thousand frosties
in short order.
I brought this idea to
the always helpful Mrs. S. She was less than enthusiastic in her response,
something to the tune of, "Over my dead body, blah
blah blah." So I solicited ideas from her, and she suggested
I give up some of my habits or toys. She must be nuts! I can't live with out
some of these things! Think about not having a bargain post, salted cashews or
spiderwire. I didn't even tell her I was thinking about getting satellite radio. She reminded me that a Scout is
thrifty.
That set me in a new
direction: a Scout is thrifty. I will recycle every bit of waste
coming out of my house. I did the math on this -- not good. It will take me approximately 33 years' worth of newsprint to pay my way. Aluminum cans will get me
there a little faster. Mrs. S. points out that being thrifty does
not necessarily mean recycling. She means watching where I spend my money and budgeting for these events.
Oh, I understand now.
I will have to pay my own way. That
is really part of the Scout Law: A Scout is Thrifty. He works to pay his
own way and help others. He saves for the future. He protects and conserves natural resources. He carefully uses
time and property. ("He carefully uses time and property" may be my out on the
recycling thing, since it would take up my whole backyard to store the cans!)
I am going to be thrifty
and save for our trips and help Kelly with his fundraising. My challenge to you
this month is to be thrifty and as always Be Prepared.
Mr. Sullender
Your thrifty Scoutmaster
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[Originally posted December, 2005]
Dear Niners,
Christmas is coming up quick.
The season of joy and giving will come and go faster than we can blink an eye! Christmas break will be only a memory
and those gifts we gave and received will soon be sidelined for other more important interests.
So I am going to pledge to myself
to think about the Scout Law this holiday season.
My challenge to all of you this
month of December is to live by the Scout Oath and Law in all that you do. Be especially cheerful with everyone, try
to save a buck or two, and most importantly share the spirit of Christmas with your friends and family through your reverent
celebration of the birth of Christ.
Happy Holidays,
Mr. S
P.S. Don’t
forget that a Scout is clean. I am going to clean my home. I’m sure your parents can use your help to clean
your home, don’t delay, start now.
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[Originally posted October, 2005]
Hey, Niners!
Special Camporee XIII was a great success. I had another observation about
this wonderful event that I wanted to share with you.
Service to others can not be shown in a better example than what
our entire Scout family did for our Special Campers and their loved ones who attended Camporee. This example of selfless
service to others best exemplifies the aims of Scouting.
This leads to a point of reward. I saw lots of smiles
and hugs. I heard a lot nice things being said. I witnessed reunions, also. What a paycheck for a Saturday's
"work"!
So, please keep in mind that any opportunity for service to others brings rewards with it. I look forward
to the next opportunity!
I am honored to be...
Yours in Scouting,
Mr. Sullender
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[Originally posted July, 2005]
This is a puzzle. The first Boy Scout to give me the correct answer to it will get the free
grand prize (total prize value will not be less than
$1.00 United States currency nor exceed P1,000,000,000 Philippine Republic). The first parent to give me the correct answer
will get nothing besides a little chuckle.
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I saw something that disturbed me greatly as I was
walking in the park the other day.
I noticed a woman with a small child in a baby stroller
and another in tow. The second child, a boy,
was tugging on his mother’s sleeve. She
was checking on the baby, her name is Ursula, to see if she
had awakened.
On the other side of the park I noticed an ugly, mangy dog. By now I noticed the dog was moving in the direction of the people I have already told you about, “probably no big deal,” I thought to myself. Most
likely just a stray enjoying a dog’s
trot in the park. The little boy took off running toward the dog. The mother being distracted by the commotion let go of the stroller. Off
rolled the baby down the hill, off ran the boy toward the stray, off ran mom in no certain direction because she couldn’t
tell which danger was worse for her child.
What was I to
do? Do you know what to do?
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Mr. Sullender
Scoutmaster, Troop 999
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[Originally posted June, 2005]
The hot & humid dog days of summer are almost here. I can't wait!
Adventure abounds. Trails, lakes, campfires, friends & memories.
I want to share a memory with you this month. I was about to turn 13, my
friend Mark was 15. He was a Boy Scout and eager to show off his skills. We had camped out at the city reservoir
a couple of times with his dad or college-age brother, but we had never camped on our own. We were ready, or so Mark
thought. We begged his dad to take us somewhere a little farther away, so we couldn't walk home, and to drop us off
for the night. He gave it some thought and secured my mother's permission (which wasn't too difficult).
Mark's father drove us to the102 river at a spot called Rochester Falls. This
campground was about 9 miles from home, 'way too far to walk back. We had a pup tent, bedrolls, two Scout mess kits,
waterproofed matches, fishing gear and a little food. I mean a little food: we had one can of pork and
beans and two cans of Vienna sausages. We were going to catch fish and fry it in our mess kit pans over the fire we
started with our waterproofed matches.
I was pretty confident in the plan until Mark's dad pulled away and left us alone
at the river. I had learned a lot from Mark, but I had never put anything to a real test. This was it. Sink
or swim. We were pretty good swimmers!
We caught fish, we fried them in our little skillet. Mark and I had no problem
starting a fire. We even purified some water with clorotabs and tried it. I had never camped out without an adult
right in our campsite. The closest adult must have been about 100 feet away at the campground. This time, we were
free and self-sufficient.
Our adventure only lasted about 14 hours, but it seemed like the biggest time I had
ever had up to then.
A BOY SCOUT is what Mark was. "Confident", "loyal", "helpful" best describe
his nature.
I know several boys like that now. After this summer has passed, after all
the adventures have occurred and the stories been retold many times, I will know several more boys like my friend Mark.
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See you on the trail!
Mr. Sullender
Scoutmaster, Troop 999
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[Originally posted May, 2005]
Niners,
May is one of my favorite months. The birds have returned to nest and
raise their young. New fawns are born this time of year. The woods come alive this time of year. Also, this
is the time of year to see all of the natural beauty shown in all the wildflowers, trees and shrubs. Everything
really starts to grow in the Spring!
Even boys grow in the spring. I am really seeing some growth in our Troop,
too. Older boys step up to become our new leaders. The little guys now are veterans. We also get
to see a new patrol form. Webelos just days ago, these new Boy Scouts took a big step toward growing and going
when they came our way.
Take a look around and listen next time you are outside. You may see and
hear something new. Take a look around and listen next time you are at one of our Troop functions. You may notice
that Spring has brought plenty of changes to our Niner crew, too!
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Yours in Scouting,
Mr. Sullender
Scoutmaster, Troop 999
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[Originally posted April, 2005]
A Scout is Friendly
My Webster's says, "friendly 1a: showing
kindly interest and goodwill." That's a neat way to put "friendly".
I have a neighbor who is friendly. I think this because she listens
well and always asks follow-up questions later. She shows a kindly interest in our family. Do you have a neighbor
like mine?
Maybe friendly is what the grumpy old man at the gas station down the block
from the house I grew up in was. After all, he always found time to help the neighbor-hood boys fix or straighten something
out. He always showed goodwill to us boys in his personal way. Do you know someone like this?
I know many friendly people. Sometimes I fail to recognize their friendliness
right away. This happens when I predetermine whether they are friendly
or not. Do you decide who's friendly before you know them?
This month, I charge you to be friendly, and to show a kindly interest and
goodwill towards new people. Let's find out how many friendly folks there are in the world we live in!
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Yours in Scouting,
Mr. Sullender
Scoutmaster, Troop 999
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[Originally posted March, 2005]
A Scout is Helpful
That says it all simply. I would like to take a minute to remind us where
we can be helpful. I'm not talking about home or church, either. What about helping someone you don't want to
help? Maybe you are in a hurry to get through a door and you don't hold it for the person behind you. Perhaps
you take the last cart in the grocery store and don't offer it to the lady with four little ones in tow. It could be
that traffic is a mess in the evening and you skip an opportunity to let someone in line in front of you. Maybe you
know how to get a troublesome combination lock open and you don't offer your classmate help and he is late for class.
Maybe all someone needs is a smile and a kind word to make their day a little easier and you didn't offer these.
I have been guilty of all of these infractions at one time or another. Today
I will try to be helpful even when I know it will not benefit me to be so. I ask that all you Niners pledge to do so
also.
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Yours in Scouting,
Mr. Sullender
Scoutmaster, Troop 999
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[Originally posted February, 2005]
A Scout is LOYAL
I hear boys tell me what they think being loyal is. The answer
doesn't vary much from being true to family, friends, and Scouts. This is a good answer, although somewhat incomplete I think.
Being loyal to me encompasses the entire world we live in. This
includes praying for and supporting our nation's leaders even though we may disagree with some of the decisions they make.
I know most of you boys are not very interested in politics yet,
so let's look at being loyal at a level closer to home. How about your parents? I bet they have made some bone
head decisions! Did you decide to quit on them? NO. Did you bad mouth them? NO. Did you decide
the system they use to operate your home was no good and not worth fixing? NO. You probably just stuck it out
and hoped for better days to come, maybe you even prayed they would see the light. They were still your parents and you felt
you better try to do the best you could to make things right. That is being loyal.
My challenge to you this month is to determine if you are being
loyal to yourself and every person, ideal or even your faith. The best of times or toughest of times requires your undying
loyalty to these things.
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Yours in Scouting,
Mr. Sullender
Scoutmaster, Troop 999
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[Originally posted September, 2004]
A Scout is Helpful
The purpose of the Special Camporee is to give Special Needs Youth the same opportunity to enjoy scouting
events in the outdoors as all of us Niners have.
I am working on my 16th year as a member of Troop 999. During this time I have had the opportunity
to attend a lot of monthly campouts, summer camps and high adventure trips. I have been to Colorado summer camp, backpacked
Philmont, canoed Canada three times, backpacked and canoed in the Adirondacks. I have had a lot of HIGHS in Scouting,
and I have witnessed the many HIGHS that our Scouts have had.
Comparing Niner highs to Special Camper highs:
- Canoeing in Canada, I have experienced...
- High winds
- Sitting on a rock for 10 hours waiting for the high winds to die down
- Paddling in driving rain
- Having to empty rain water from canoes that were becoming dangerously overweight
- Portage in knee-deep mud
- Portage in the dark
- A close call with hypthermia for myself and a whole crew
- A Scout jumping off a 30-foot cliff into a lake because of the confidence of another Scout
- At Special Camporee, I have experienced...
- A Special Camper canoeing with two Niner Scouts, having a great time, reaching and splashing the water.
No big deal? The Special Camper's mother came up to me afterward and said that she could not believe that her son even
got into the canoe, since he is terrified of water -- even bathtub water. What that Special Camper achieved -- what
he overcame -- and the high that he had is comparable to all of the Scout accomplishments that I witnessed in Canada.
- At Philmont, I have observed...
- Niner Scouts trekking 70-plus miles, finishing up coming down into Ponil Camp, or coming over the top
of the Tooth of Time -- and all being higher than a kite from their accomplishment
- At Special Camporee, I have observed...
- A Special Camper crawl over a 3-foot hurdle. A photo was taken, and the Camper had it enlarged
and framed. He showed it to everyone because he was proud of his accomplishment. He was terrified of heights!
His high over what he had accomplished was a great as any I have ever seen from a Scout.
I have witnessed Scouts having fun and enjoying all manner of activities and events. I have
witnessed the same enjoyment by Special Campers at the Special Camporee field games.
I have observed Niners shooting perfect scores with rifles, shotguns and on the archery range -- all of
the Scouts proud of their accomplishments. I have observed Special Campers shooting pie tin targets on the BB range,
or hitting an archery target -- all of them just as proud of their accomplishments.
I have watched as Scouts develop lifelong friendships with other Scouts -- and I have watched Special
Campers do the same.
Sounds great, doesn't it? You would like to have these experiences too, I'll bet.
We need everyone's help at this year's Camporee -- Scouts, dads, moms, grandparents and older
siblings, too. I never have required a Niner Scout to participate in any event. But, I expect all Scouts to
participate in Special Camporee!
Special Camporee is a lot of work -- but I GUARANTEE that the rewards that you receive will outweigh
the hard work. Totally free for all, yet the "paycheck" that you receive will last for a lifetime!
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Thanks,
Gary Schoenhals
Scoutmaster Emeritus
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